14ymedio – Page 334 – Translating Cuba

Government Officials Lash Out Against EFE’s Correspondent in Cuba

Juan Antonio Fernandez Palacios, Deputy Director of Press, Communication, and Imagery of the Ministry of Foreign Relations

14ymedio, Havana, 31 July 2020 — The Spanish press agency EFE’s representative in Havana, Lorena Canto, was challenged on Twitter by two senior officials of Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Relations in response to a tweet that referenced the “persecution” suffered this Thursday by several independent journalists.

“Independent journalists in Cuba complain that, once again, authorities prevent them leaving their homes. They offer them no justification, which does not surprise me, because this persecution is impossible to justify. The stories belong to those who tell them,” wrote Canto.

The deputy director of the General Directorate of Press, Communication, and Imagery of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Juan Antonio Fernandez Palacios, responded to her a few hours laters: “About the ’independent’ thing I have my doubts. Furthermore, I don’t believe it. As for the rest of what you say, we’ll talk, because it does not seem to me and I do not believe that it is the function of a correspondent to do internal politics. The stories do not belong to those who invent them.” continue reading

Alberto Gonzalez Casals, director of the International Press Center, asked her: “What do you call ’independent journalists’?” and pointed out that her tweet “is without doubt political activism, which is not the job of Efe.”

Norges Rodriguez, founder of the outlet Yucabyte, complained that Fernandez Palacios was threatening the reporter. “This (totalitarian) Cuban government official threatens a foreign correspondent for denouncing the harassment of her Cuban colleagues,” added Rodriguez.

In the debate that was generated on Twitter, journalist Ivette Leyva Martinez pointed out that Fernandez is an “official of a dictatorship,” and it is not his job to decide the role of a journalist. “Shoemaker, stick to your shoes. Certainly it is evident with his threatening language. Thanks for demonstrating again the censorial and anti-democratic nature of the Castro-ists,” she said.

Mario José Penton, Cuban reporter for the Nuevo Herald, also pointed out the words that they directed to Canto as threats. “When a foreign correspondent dares to defend a Cuban colleague, besieged at home by State Security, this is what happens. They threaten her, too. They have no limits. What a disgrace,” said Penton.

In that context, Gabriel Salvia, director of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL) highlighted the fact that Cuba is “the only country in Latin America that does not permit the legal existence of an NGO dedicated to the defense of press freedom and the practice of journalism.”

On Thursday there were several journalists from independent outlets and activists who suffered a police action to keep them from leaving their homes, without a court order. Journalists like Monica Baro Sanchez, Luz Escobar, Yoani Sanchez, Reinaldo Escobar, and Hector Luis Valdes, in addition to activists and artists like Tania Bruguera, Ariel Maceo Tellez, Omara Ruiz Urquiola, and Iliana Hernandez, among others, were under surveillance by State Security for the whole day without being told their reasons.

Translated by Mary Lou Keel

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Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of Havana, Dies

Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of Havana, passed away July 31 in Havana.

14ymedio, Havana, 31 July 2020 — Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of Havana, passed away this Friday after a long illness, as confirmed by the official newspaper Granma.

A Doctor of Historical Sciences and specialist in Archaeological Sciences, Eusebio Leal Spengler was appointed director of the Museum of the City of Havana in 1967 and was considered the main promoter of the restoration of Old Havana.

A figure closely linked to the ruling party, especially to Fidel Castro, the historian controlled the restoration works of the historic center of the Cuban capital, an area that has experienced sustained tourist growth.

Leal was born on 11 September 1942 in the Cuban capital and was self-taught. At the age of 16 he began working in the municipal government of the city and was closely advised by the then Historian of Havana, Emilio Roig. He later enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy and History where he concluded his studies in 1979. continue reading

In 2016, Leal Spengler received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Havana. For years the historian suffered from diabetes and four years ago he underwent a surgical operation to remove gallstones.

That same year, Leal suffered a severe setback, when from the Habaguanex company and the Office of the Historian of Havana, which became part of the Business Administration Group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Gaesa).

In this way, Gaesa took control of the Fénix real estate company, the Puerto Carena construction company and Habaguanex, three entities that obtained important benefits derived from tourism, the sale of merchandise and the restoration of heritage buildings.

Pedro Roig, executive director of the Institute of Cuban Studies, considers that Leal “forged his cultural world between light and shadow. A passionate, educated and obedient commissary of the Communist Party, he will be remembered for his commendable work of restoring the historic center of the City of Havana, converted into an attractive tourist destination (snatched away by Gaesa) and his unworthy devotion to the regime of terror, misery and fear of Fidel Castro.”

In 2013, Eusebio Leal received the rank of commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor, the highest decoration awarded by France. Before, he had been distinguished with the titles of Knight and Officer of the Legion of Honor.

In recent years, the historian’s health had visibly deteriorated, as tributes to his professional work increased. His diabetes caused him to experience several relapses and hospitalizations.

According to the official press and confirmed by this newspaper, there will be no funeral services for now. “In accordance with his family, his ashes will be conserved so that, once the Covid-19 epidemic has been controlled, and as a fair recognition of his imperishable work, our people can pay him a well-deserved tribute in the Capitol of Havana, an emblematic structure that he restored in support of the nation,” said Cubadebate.

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Police Operation in Havana Prevents Activists and Journalists from Leaving Their Homes

Hidden under a tree, the policemen of the operation against journalist Mónica Baró were barely visible from her window. (Facebook)

14ymedio, Havana, 30 July 2020 — From the early morning hours on Thursday, several activists and independent journalists began to denounce police operations around their homes. More than a dozen people have reported that members of the State Security are preventing them from going out, although the reason for this prohibition is, so far, unknown.

Journalists Monica Baró, Luz Escobar, Iliana Hernández, Hector Luis Valdés, Yoani Sánchez, and Reinaldo Escobar, among others, are under house arrest without a warrant and with police, some in civilian clothes and others in uniform, stationed around their homes.

“I tried to leave my house just now and two women officials from the Ministry of the Interior and a man in civilian clothes approached me when I had not advanced even twenty meters from the entrance of my building to inform me that I could not leave due to ’isolation’,” denounced Monica Baró on her Facebook account. The journalist asked the officials why the measure was only applied to her and “the street was full of people.” continue reading

On the ground floor of the building housing the editorial office of the newspaper 14ymedio, a man in civilian clothing also questioned Reinaldo Escobar. Next to the young man, who after much insistence from Escobar identified himself with a State Security ID, were two policemen dressed in uniforms. “Today you cannot leave,” the political police officer reiterated on several occasions.

When Escobar insisted on knowing the reason for the prohibition, the man threatened to take him to a police station and charge him with the crime of “contempt” against the authority. Ultimately, the journalist was never informed of the reasons to prevent him and his wife, Yoani Sánchez, from leaving the house.

In a similar situation are also the activist Omara Ruíz Urquiola, the independent reporter Camila Acosta and the artist Tania Bruguera, who was detained on the way to her home: “They put me in a police car while I asked what the reason was.” A few minutes later she was returned to her home and warned that she could not go outside.

Bruguera joked that someone had put on a performance by spreading a false call for a demonstration that has mobilized the police. Which is one way to explain the surprising unfolding, the causes of which are still unknown.

In June, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) denounced in a report that the Island Government has taken advantage of the pandemic “to intensify de facto the already existing limitations on the rights and freedoms of citizens.” The Madrid-based organization compiled in its document “at least 67 arbitrary arrests”, especially in the provinces of Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Villa Clara, as well as 74 “other types” of repressive actions, especially harassment of through police subpoenas.

At the end of that same month, a large police deployment prevented a demonstration organized in protest at the murder of Hansel Ernesto Hernández at the hands of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR).

Similarly, on July 20, the police thwarted an LGTBI protest in front of the Radio and Television Institute in response to the homophobic words of the director of Communication of that state institution, Yusimi González Herrera.

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Defending the ‘Coleros’ and ‘Dishonest Speculators’

Cubans spend a huge part of their lives standing in line to meet their everyday needs. (14ymedio)

Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 29 July 2020 — Granma, on its website, says that complaints from readers about so-called “dishonest speculators” are accumulating. Really, you can’t fall much lower or be worse. On the part of Granma, of course.

The article, I can’t remember the author, describes the long lines and the coleros, who are people who are paid by others to stand in line for them. Both things are plentiful in these months of COVID-19 in Cuba, but the most important question isn’t asked: Why do the lines and coleros exist? It’s curious that the article doesn’t mention Miami, Madrid or Mexico City, where no Cuban has to get up at dawn and spend sleepy hours of sweat standing in interminable lines in order to get groceries. It’s unthinkable.

In Cuba, the line is a hardship, something that can’t be avoided if you want to eat every day and have some basic cleaning product to combat the dirt. And Granma, instead of going to the root of the problem, which they know perfectly well, attacks and insults the “dishonest speculators”, who are just the tip of the iceberg. continue reading

The article describes the numerous and varied behaviors of “resolving” that Cubans practice, as if it were a matter of a crime, “like standing two or three times in line for several people, selling their spots to anyone who can pay at high prices, to accelerate their moment of buying”. Serious crimes, no doubt. They don’t say, however, that this happens when the consumer, after desperately trying to buy a product for several unfruitful days of standing in line, ends up running to the service that assures him of being among the first to have access to one of the scarce products for sale.

Equally condemned are those who “whisper in your ear that you can have what you want (wet wipes, diapers, chicken, picadillo, oil, air conditioners, freezers…), but only if you’re ready to pay double, triple or who knows how much in Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) over the price in the State stores”. It’s normal; for a start, these people can communicate their services however they find it convenient, and, in addition, they have every legitimate right in the world to profit from an activity in which they spend time, strength and, in many cases, economic resources.

And of course, immediately the Ministry of Interior arrived and ended the fun, with the emission of sanctions for more than 1,285 coleros from the beginning of the pandemic, with the certainty that not everyone who received a fine actually engages in these activities. There’s always a threat of repression thrown in, just in case.

So that, in order to be prepared for what the Ministry views as a growing phenomenon, and thus nothing is said about how to address it with economic measures that are necessary and advisable, the Government announces through Granma more repression against what it calls “the indolence of people with no social commitment, dedicated to accumulating products needed by families in the midst of a context of shortages and a national health emergency”. Once more, incredible but true. Insults, condemnations, judgments about presumed crimes, lack of respect for the principle of presumed innocence. For the Communists, the guilty are the innocent.

The columnist even “doubts the humanity of these beings, who, motived by individualism, forget that the children, elderly, pregnant and sick won’t have the opportunity to get what they need”, without realizing that thanks to these dehumanized beings, many of the above-mentioned people now manage to have access to the goods and services they need but can’t get in any other way, not even in their dreams. Rather than committing crimes, these beings are providing a benefit to many people who are willing, logically, to pay for that. Nothing is free, and the Communists know it, although they toe the Party line when it’s convenient.

The amount of the fines is also questionable, because they don’t bring in a lot of money. If the fines were excessively high, the sanctionable act would demand a higher price from the client, which would reduce the size of the demand and, thus, the potential capacity of the offer. So these fines of 100 to 300 pesos are perfectly designed by the Government to keep the coleros and “dishonest speculators” continue to offer their services. Ask the authorities why.

The article continues along other paths, pointing out that many coleros are the same people in charge of organizing the lines in these establishments, which makes the crime worse, but without recognizing that the problem could be solved by supplying enough products in the shops. Then in Havana, as in Madrid, the lines would disappear, along with the coleros and the speculators. An impossible dream for several generations of Cubans who know that their economic system is incapable of accomplishing this basic life goal.

Proposals like scanning identity cards to organize the lines, improving control inside the shops, using the ration card, administrative surveillance of workers, etc. are the Communist solutions to this phenomenon, which, if applied, would surely multiply. Don’t be deceived. These proposals are the ones that Granma says must reach online readers of the newspaper. I’m afraid there are many people who are ignorant about economic matters and only see the situation through an absurd ideological lens that has reached its end. Perhaps the moment for education has arrived.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban Family Shares its House with the Rubble of a Building Collapse

A month ago, the roof of one of the rooms in their home fell on them. (Courtesy)

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 28 July 2020 — Doing things well in Cuba is not just a matter of willpower. Daniel Llera’s family has been living with a mountain of rubble for more than a month in the garden of their house, on Calle 114 in Marianao, due to the lack of diligence of the local authorities. Since the roof of one of the rooms in their house fell on them in June, they have not been able to find a legal solution to get rid of the rubble.

“When the Comunales* director came, he explained to me that I couldn’t get a trash bin because this was a busy road. He told me that I had to find a person who would authorize it,” Daniel’s mother, Raiza Llera, tells 14ymedio, who also lives in the affected house.

“On several occasions I have spoken with the mayor’s advisor, and the last thing he has told me is that the director of Housing has to come, but I do not know what Housing has to do with this,” she laments. continue reading

She also asked the municipal section of the Party for an appointment with the secretary, but did not find a solution there either. “We are at the same point as we were a month ago when the director of Comunales came and the rubble is still at my house and without any response from the Marianao government,” regrets Raiza Llera, who has had her garden full of rubble since June 20.

The rubble remains lying in the garden without any way to remove it. (Courtesy)

The woman explains that when part of the house collapsed, the local People’s Power gave her a very quick response: “They were very correct, they immediately sent a technician, who issued an opinion, and the next day they put us on a Housing List to receive a subsidy.” However, she is surprised and angry that they have not given her an answer about the container she requested. “In my block there is a colleague who is a civil servant and three times a week they placed a trash bin in front of her house when she was making repairs. Why is it so difficult for me to put one out there?”

It is “a very old house” that needs repair, explains Daniel. “That moment when a room collapses you feel desolate and more, because my grandmother also lives here. If I put the rubble on the street, they will fine me, and if I throw it away in the wrong place they will do the same.”

“I have been in this situation for a month or so and they have not given me any answer. The only thing the director of Comunales suggested was to knock down the wall and take the rubble out onto the street, a very crazy and pointless thing,” he explains.

In the absence of a response from the authorities, Raiza Llera turned to Facebook to point out that “the laws in Cuba are for everyone equally.” Daniel, meanwhile, regrets that it is “impossible to carry out the procedures as the law dictates” and hopes that by making this complaint the “superior” authorities will find out about the situation and help him solve the problem, so that he does not have to resort to illegal methods.

*Translator’s note: Servicios Comunales is the state entity responsible for trash collection and other public services.

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The Adventure of Opening an Account in Cuba in MLC (Hard Currency)

Waiting in line. A daily fact of life in Cuba.

14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, July 26, 2020 – Imagine that you’re going to your bank to open an account. One of the simplest operations in any country in the world.

You really could save yourself the trouble, if you want, because online banks offer a way to do that. In Cuba, it’s more complicated, although this option also exists.

On the Island, it’s normal to have to visit the bank, and in addition, to hurry, because there are only three places where you can open the account, and you will probably have to wait in long lines. Specifically, you can open the account in the Bank of Credit and Commerce (BANDEC), the Metropolitan Bank (BM) and the Peoples’ Savings Bank (BPA), all of them State controlled.

After waiting for hours, you address the employee and tell him you want to open an account in freely convertible money (MLC — moneda libremente convertible) so you can buy goods and services in the MLC shops, which are usually better supplied than the regular State stores. Your goal is to get the debit card associated with the MLC account, so you can buy everything.

The first thing the employee clarifies is that the MLC shops are accepting U.S. dollars and euros. You can forget about using any money from Cuba’s commercial friends, like Venezuela, China and even Russia. They also accept, with a certain reluctance, Canadian dollars, British pounds and Swiss francs. And other currencies, like the Mexican peso, the Japanese yen, the Danish crown, the Norwegian crown and the Swedish crown, but they tell you that the account will be denominated in U.S. dollars, in accordance with the official exchange rates.

You’ve come well prepared, with your identity card (for example, your drivers’ license won’t work, but it’s okay, irregularities are thereby avoided), and you’re surprised when the employee informs you that you don’t need money to open the account. What’s more, don’t worry because the account can be opened with a zero balance. You don’t understand anything, and the wad of bills you have in your pocket is worrisome, because the employee is blunt when he tells you that the account has to be supplied with transfers made from the exterior – from abroad – whether through a bank or by Fincimex (the financial arm of CIMEX, a State entity) with remittances.

With a certain resignation you sign the first pile of papers, and stamps and other administrative elements are added. In the conversation with the employee, he suggests that you use the AIS USD card, which Fincimex offers the population, and he even promotes your request from overseas; in other words, the possibility exists that remittances from the exterior can be requested in the country where you are located. The employee can’t avoid commenting that my card might take a long time, we don’t do well with plastic here so it’s better to get the card outside, you would be able to make purchases sooner.

While the employee introduces the information into a computer, which crashes several times (the network is slow and the employee complains), he comments that BANDEC (a credit bank) offers anyone the possibility through the Transfermóvil application to request an MLC card without having to come in person to the bank branch (the online option). You think it’s a pity you didn’t know this before. You could have saved a lot of lost time, but in Cuba now it’s understood. And besides, you want to go with your card in hand to teach your friends and family how to use it.

But then comes the critical moment. When it seems that everything is ready and that the card is now within reach, the best part arrives. The employee tells you that the card won’t be there for 7 to 10 days, and it could be longer, and he asks for your phone number so he can call you when it arrives. Resignation. It’s not possible to leave the bank with the card.

Then you remember a similar transaction performed by a relative in a bank in Hialeah some months before, and how he left triumphant with the card, with assurance, with a policy of credit and several gifts from the bank. A different system. Once more, the employee whispers, to avoid being heard, deficiencies exist in the deliveries, and we’re continuing to work on this.

The fact is that when Monday comes you still don’t have the card, and when you consult with friends from work you realize that some have spent two weeks waiting, without news. The shops are open, but people can’t buy with cards that were issued by the banks. The lines shown on Cuban television are due to the fact that many buyers have other cards that can be used the same way.

In effect, in addition to the cards from BANDEC, BM and BPA, there are the AIS USD cards of Fincimex, which function in these shops and also in the other electronic payment channels of the Cuban banking system. You thought about the Visa card that was brought back from one of your trips to Miami, which you couldn’t find anywhere.

The employee has you sign several papers, while he gives final instructions. With this account and debit card you can go to another shop, not only to the USD one, and use it the same way. You also can access ATM machines and withdraw money, but be careful, you won’t get dollars or euros, only Cuban convertible pesos (CUCs), at the same exchange rate that the bank has right now for the U.S. dollar.

Then, you dare to formulate a question, only one. Are you sure that the tax on the dollar has been eliminated? The employee smiles and informs you that it was eliminated on Monday, July 20, in accordance with the measures approved recently by the Cuban Government. Before, if you came to the bank with North American dollars in cash, a 10% discount would apply. For example, if you brought 100 dollars they would deposit 90 in your account. Now that doesn’t happen. And he goes back to insist, again, that the account is now open and you don’t need to deposit cash right now.

However, he reminds you again about the three ways to have funds on the MLC cards. He recommends a bank transfer from the exterior and also by way of remittances through Fincimex.

The second can be through a transfer you receive from another USD account, between individuals.

The third is cash, and it can be in North American dollars or other currencies.

At this point, you wonder why they rejected your cash deposit and whether you understood anything at all.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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"Where are the Chinese trains?": Transport in Post-COVID Cuba

Cycle rickshaws, known as bicitaxis, are common in Cuba; and the country has received a donation of 23 “auto” rickshaws, which are similar but powered by a motor.

Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 24 July 2020 – A few days ago, a post-COVID update on the interventions of the state in the transport and tourist industries was held at the round table. In today’s article, we will look at the former, an area within the Cuban economy with closer ties to the private sector and thus particularly relevant for discussion.

The paralisation of transport following the confinement measures and the resulting decrease in tourist arrivals since the start of the year have determined the results of a sector now on the brink of collapse. Especially vulnerable to this situation are the private brokers who rely on loans and charging the public for their services.

Shamefully, the ministro (transport minister) did not produce any contingency measures, such as reimbursement of the lost revenue suffered by transport carriers who now find themselves on the verge of bankruptcy. This is unlike other countries, where governments have offered temporary loans to help combat the complex situation caused by the pandemic. Instead, private carriers in Cuba have been left to their own fortune by the government. continue reading

Instead, the transport minister was quick to proclaim, at the very beginning of his presentation, that “the reactivation of public transport in La Habana was the greatest challenge, requiring the guidance of the Ministerio de Transporte (Ministry of Transport), the Consejo de Defensa Provincial (Provincial Defense Council) and of bodies with the Ministerio del Interior (Ministry of the Interior)”. What else is to be expected? Even during periods where none of the problems created by COVID-19 existed, the industry has long resented the various difficulties weighing it down that are caused by chronic structural deficiencies, such as weak demand and an inflexible operating framework in the provision of of public and private services.

This raises the question, how are problems within the sector being addressed? For the transport minister, the answer is simple, “by guaranteeing compliance with the measures, by the posting of inspectors at stations and by the establishing of a youth force in collaboration with la Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (the Union of Young Communists) aimed at identifying problems and sharing them via a WhatsApp group”.

In other words, monitoring and informing on private brokers. A cocktail of increased order, discipline and obedience is the speciality of a ministry seeking to eliminate what it calls “irregularities” in the capital, such as playing music at a high volume or staging protests against the inspectors on behalf of the population. If someone complains about the transport service, they are deemed responsible for an “irregularity”, which could then be classified as a offence. A masterclass in the handling of complaints and demands by the communist government. It is incredible that situations such as the one outlined above can still arise in the 21st century.

The transport minister repeatedly described the problems within the sector, which “require the understanding of the public during this period”, and added that “a systematic reform of the stops is underway with the active involvement of the Defence Council”, another one of the regime’s informants. Images of the long queues of Cubans waiting to use a public transport network running at full capacity all throughout the day have been widely circulated on social media sites during the pandemic, images that are also notable for the complete lack of social distancing.

Given the severity of the situation, confronting statements made by the Ministry of Transport can seem like some kind of a sick joke. One such statement is “the establishment of a reinforced service to the beaches. This has involved the reorganisation of the entire flow of transport based on the fact that the beaches are an area where people tend to congregate”. In particular, the Ministry referred to the “9 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday train to Playas del Este that leaves from the loading bay of the Central Station, La Habana Vieja“.

It highlighted that services were restricted during the pandemic in line with the confinement measures taken by the government. Consequently, the interprovincial lines have been running at 30% of normal as 70% of these lines are connected to the capital. The Ministry also signalled “difficulties with airplanes” when discussing air transport, which explains the focus of the ministry on buses and trains. It confirmed that the ticket sales would be made through the app “Viajando” (Travelling) and las Agencias de Venta (Sales Agencies) while marking the recent “significant investment in the Terminal de Ómnibus Nacionales (National Bus Terminal)” as a success. This investment includes a refurbishment of the terminal with the goal of improving ventilation and with it the passenger experience.

Also emphasised was how “the initial phase will soon put into service the 23 ‘electric trikes'” (small 3-wheeled motorized carts also commonly called auto rickshaws) that were donated to the country; these will operate along routes in Centro Habana and Habana Vieja. Likewise, an app will soon be made available for users of the “gazellas” (metropolitan taxis), allowing them to check prices, routes and even the real time location of the taxis, in addition to other features currently being finalised. The figure of 23 auto rickshaws in a city of more than 2 million inhabitants is somewhat perplexing, to say the least.

Having reached this point, the minster began to explain the integration of transport within the context of the revitalisation plan for the Cuban economy that was recently approved by the Consejo de Minsistros (Council of Ministers).

At its most basic, the measures proposed are designed to “make the most of what we already have”, taking into account that the “financial resources will be limited”. Furthermore, the interventions in transport must “give priority to exports and import substitution, as well as providing the scope for improved management and greater efficiency. This will generate incentives and management strategies that mutually support one another”. All this is accompanied by the potential of “science, digitalisation and other alternatives that prioritise greater efficiency”.

Having finished his presentation, the minister then provided additional detail on the measures.

With regard to freight transport, it was announced the publication of “a series of guidelines establishing the responsibilities of all actors involved in internal port-freight economic activity that would improve control and management systems for GPS-equipped fleets”. It is unbelievable that this technology needs to be improved, or worse, that it does not already exist in the first place.

Secondly, the minister signalled the adoption of additional measures to “restructure the transport network, because there are cases where the means of transport are not in the hands of the state entities that most need them”, which could be interpreted as an increased centralisation of services that were previously offered by private brokers.

Next, an increase in “the more efficient mode of cabotage transport (management, manufacturing and maintenance of small boats)” was announced, a service that the government is constantly trying to secure but is usually hindered by the insular structure of the country.

Fourthly, and with respect to passenger transport, the minister indicated that “there will be a reorganisation of routes in order to adjust schedules in line with demand during peak hours. The use of bicycles, auto rickshaws and electric motorcycles will also be encouraged, all of which are expected to improve traffic flow in the upcoming months”. The consequences of these initiatives that interfere with the autonomy of private enterprise while increasing state control are well known.

The fifth presentation follows its predecessors, with what the minister called “the establishment of an organisational task force to facilitate improvements to the efficiency of the railway system, including the transport of sugar”, as if the problem of the Cuban rail network could be resolved through organisation and nothing else, given the constant delays and abysmal quality of an infrastructure left to decay because of a lack of state investment.

Almost slipping under the radar was the minister’s announcement of a new railway operator “to provide services to the Zona Especial de Desarrollo Mariel (the “Mariel” Special Development Zone). Meanwhile, the transportation of passengers and cargo via an express service will continue to be developed. This is the development that had previously been put on hold, but should soon restart with better organisation”. The minister concluded the section about the railways by indicating that “work will be done to transform the railway maintenance networks, which had seen delays due to the current constraints.”

Finally, and forming part of the additional measures taken within the industry, the minister highlighted the “work being done to fine tune the necessary protocols for the sale of internal combustion engines within the country”. It is expected that they will be available in shops dealing in MLC (moneda libremente convertible, freely convertible currency). In this sense, the minister highlighted the need to “provide incentives that will increase the production of spare parts both in the public and private sector”, without going as far as to indicate what these incentives might be.

In line with the introduction of MLC in all areas of the economy, the minister affirmed that work is being carried out in the “promotion of various enterprises that currently provide services in the public sector so that they can continue to provide the services in MLC. Foreign companies will also receive assistance”.

With regard to the service in state-owned workshops that are privately run, featuring as one of the few references to the private sector, it was remarked that “there will be an evaluation to determine which state-owned workshops would be able to pass into private management (of which La Habana already has experience in this)”. There was little more, if anything at all, on the matter. It was also said that “cooperatives will continue to be actively promoted, and modes of transport will be loaned by state entities to individually selected productive activities”. Once more, precious little detail was provided on what form this would take.

There was also time to dangle a carrot in the direction of one of the nation’s great powers. This carrot consisted of an increase in support from the Ministry of Transport to the Unión de Industrias Militares (The Union of Military Industry) with the aim of “boosting the number of drivers, chauffeurs and crew members who are competent with the latest technologies”.

Finally, the minister heralded the arrival of e-commerce to the transport industry, encouraging private carriers who provide interprovincial services to register with the “Viajando” application, as well as incorporating the sale of airplane tickets to e-commerce platforms.

By way of a summary, the minister asserted that mass transport, both by train and bus, had now been restarted, as had the sale of interprovincial tickets through “Viajando“. Despite being relatively a relatively new platform, approximately 26,000 bus tickets have already been sold via the application. He went on to state that the Cayo, Coco, Cayo Largo del Sur and Villa Clara airports were ready and waiting for when international flights are permitted and begin arriving once more, adding that all of the services comply with the health procedures put in place. This includes the obligatory use of facemasks, the disinfection of transport facilities and capacity limits placed on terminals around the country.

The minister affirmed that “all the freight transportations scheduled by the country have had safety checks performed as part of the process in which begin provide their services once more. This process includes an update of the fuel cards to the latest version”. On that note, it was shown that more than 70% of freight carriers had updated their cards, which can now be used in conjunction with the Transfermóvil application to carry out transactions on the go. The remaining workers in the industry, totalling more than 70,000 (including mechanics and repair technicians), are able to continue working without any issues.

There is no doubt that the reactivation of the transport industry is crucial for the national economy, and there is a lot at stake. Most important are the interests of the state and the private sector. Supported by the WHO, the gradual, phase by phase restarting of services according to the regulations established by Salud Pública (Public Health) follows a path that attempts to limit new outbreaks.

However, the process is by no means free of contradictions. To that end, since regular flight schedules were suspended on March 24, the minister has confirmed that there have been more than 300 “humanitarian flights” chartered for various reasons. The flights have carried more than 30,000 Cubans and foreign citizens abroad, while more than 7,000 have entered the country.

The minister indicated that local trains have their services up and running again, as do a number of interprovincial lines linking together more than one province. On the subject of the Chinese trains, the minister had to explain that these were still not in service “since that all of the national routes start from La Habana, which is still in phase 1. Additionally, the establishing of interprovincial lines that do not include La Habana is complicated, especially since all of the trains are based in the capital”. It is precisely the capital where these dormant Chinese trains can be found.

Translated by: Andy Barton

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From Generals to Managers, Those Who Are Allowed to Create SMEs in Cuba

The migration from olive-green uniforms to suits and ties has left us with the most succulent sectors of the national economy in the hands of the military. (ACN)

14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Generation Y, Havana, 28 July 2020 — For more than two decades, when the exercise of private work was authorized in Cuba, one of the most repeated demands by entrepreneurs has been to create medium and small companies. The economy had to hit rock bottom for the authorities to promote so-called SMEs*, although the requirements to found them have not yet be clarified.

What will the process be like to register a small or medium business? Will the entities of the state sector responsible for this structure issue a public tender? Will political filters be applied to select new entrepreneurs? Will there be a transparent record of those awards? There are so many questions and such negative past experiences that only the facts can dispel or confirm current fears.

In the last quarter century on this Island we have seen the transmutation of generals into managers. The migration from olive-green uniforms to suits and ties has left us with the most succulent sectors of the national economy, telecommunications and foreign trade, in the hands of the military that is not accountable nor accepts criticism. Why should SMEs behave differently? continue reading

Like the “Sandinista piñata” in Nicaragua, which promoted the distribution of properties and the appropriation of companies and goods, among those closest to Daniel Ortega, in Cuba we have experienced the awarding of the most appetizing portions of the national pie to those closest to the family clan that controls the Island, to the most ideologically faithful and to those who, in turn, can use these spaces to maintain and prolong vigilance over society.

I find it hard to imagine ‘Yusimí Pérez’ or ‘Yantiel López’ — to put two hypothetical but possible names of the generation to which I belong — going to register a small company in the Registry, and their proposal to create a family footwear industry or a plant manufacturing animal feed being accepted without, in the process, not having to demonstrate their full adherence to the system, the Party and its leaders.

Although Miguel Díaz-Canel recently insisted that “we cannot continue doing the same in the field of the economy,” it is highly unlikely that this statement includes eliminating the pro forma segregation of thinking that continues to divide the economic reality of this country. It is quite probable that the first SMEs to be authorized will be in the hands of ex-officials, ex-colonels or people in whose family tree some power-related chromosomes frolic.

In a different case, if the vocation to save the country and revive the economy outweighed the narrow-mindedness of partisanship, it would be a whole different ballgame (or, as the Cuban expression would have it, ‘another rooster would crow’). Companies would be in the hands of those who could make a success of them, create jobs and innovate. Among those entrepreneurs there could be liberals, social democrats, anti-Castroites and anarchists… It would not be necessary to fake loyalty or applaud to be prosperous. But the latter would be like asking Castroism to shoot itself in the temple and to recognize that, after more than six decades of failed experiments, only a private sector without ideological reins can move the economy forward.

*SMEs = Small and medium-sized enterprises

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Mexico Has Paid More Than $6 Million US Dollars for Cuban Doctors in the Fight Against COVID-19

The 585 doctors hired by Mexico gave medical attention to patients with COVID-19 in the capital, Ciudad de México. (Twitter/@EugenioMtnez)

14ymedio, Havana, 26 July 2020 — The Mexican government paid Cuba more than $6 million US dollars (135 million Mexican pesos) during May and July of this year for the services of a group of doctors from the Island. The 585 doctors hired by Mexico gave medical attention to patients with COVID-19 in the country’s capital, Ciudad de México.

“The amount 135 million pesos was the figure agreed for all of the activities carried out, including training, research, sharing of protocols and good practices, epidemiological monitoring and a number of other activities of a more technical nature” confirmed the Health Secretary of Ciudad de México, Oliva López Arellano.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear how much of this money found its way to the doctors bank accounts. It has been a long-established practice that Cuban authorities pocket between 70% and 80% of the financial compensation they receive from the host country, while the health professionals only receive a fraction of the total amount. continue reading

“We are extremely happy and grateful. The solidarity shown not only by Cuban doctors, but by all of the health workers who have thrown themselves into the heat of the battle against COVID-19, is incredibly important to us”, López Arellano stressed.

She went on to add that doctors from the island stood alongside an additional 2,000 health workers hired by the capital with the aim of “strengthening the [city’s] ability to respond to the virus”. Together, they were tasked with facing up to the state of emergency brought about by the pandemic.

López Arellano was also keen to praise the dedication shown by the Cuban doctors, “many of the workers came from other federations within the Mexican state, so the Cuban professionals who joined the fight have been vital for medical attention within the city; we are overwhelmed with gratitude for their commitment and their willingness, and we remain open to future collaboration”.

The public official remarked that while it would be possible to renew the agreement in the future, for the time being, it had come to an end. The final cohort from the Cuban envoy returned to the country last Saturday and is currently observing the obligatory 14-day quarantine in compliance with the measures taken by the government.

In a statement, Migual Díaz-Canel welcomed the cohort back to the country and took the opportunity to highlight the strength of the Cuban health system. Juan López, one of the chief medics of the envoy based in Villa Clara, asserted that the professionalism shown by the doctors allowed them to gain recognition as they adapted to the protocols of the Mexican health system.

The Mexican chancellor, Marcelo Ebrard, tweeted a message of thanks on behalf of the government and the Mexican people for the “invaluable support of the Cuban doctors and nurses who came to save lives in our country during a difficult few months in the fight against COVID-19. We are eternally grateful for your support.”

Translated by: Andy Barton

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Is Our National Money Still Worth Anything?

Many Cubans felt upset after standing in line and then seeing that the products they wanted in the hard-currency (divisa) stores were not abundantly available. (Facebook)

14ymedio, Havana, July 21, 2020 – “Since I’ve had the use of reason they’ve inculcated us with the idea that we’re all equal, and now I understand that it’s not true,” writes Avelino, one reader among many of Cubadebate. Since Monday they’ve made their frustration clear about the beginning of the sale of food and hygiene products in hard currency, divisas. The official newspaper has received, up to now, around 70 comments that criticize the measure in a tone that’s closer to disappointment than indignation.

“How do I explain to my kids that their papá, a professional who studied and remained in Cuba, can’t buy the things they want, and the child of someone who doesn’t work and sells dollars or has a business can? Do you think the kids today want to be PhDs? Wouldn’t it be better to leave the country or sell dollars? Marx was clear: man needs to cover his basic needs in order to do the rest later. This is the despair that today weighs on the hearts of many Cubans.” Another reader, a PhD professor in science, writes: “People need real reforms that benefit their economic status.” He says he’s written several times before but wasn’t published.

Cubadebate published on Monday night a Quick Guide to the MLC (money freely convertible, e.g. hard currency) shops in Cuba, which explains the conditions for having access to buying in these establishments, how to set up bank accounts and obtain funds, and the list of basic, prioritized products that will continue being sold in the CUC and CUP (Cuban convertible and Cuban peso) stores. This list approximates quite well the one advanced by 14ymedio on Friday, although it adds some home appliances and construction materials and eliminates some of the food products listed by this newspaper. continue reading

The list is one of the points that has generated the most annoyance, as several comments reflect: “I still can’t understand which food products are considered high or medium range. Whatever product is being sold today in U.S. dollars is what people need. In fact, they’re what we already consume. Is mustard or Cuban ketchup really a luxury item?”

“I saw coffee today in the MLC shops. Do they also have it, as they say on the list, in the CUC shops?” asks someone else. “Because it’s been gone for a while.”

It hasn’t gone over readers’ heads that they couldn’t find a lot of the products seen in the widespread images in the new stores, and that they spent long hours in line trying to bring them home.

“Today in these shops they’re offering the same products that used to be sold in the CUC stores. They disappeared for months at the beginning of the pandemic, but now they’ve resurfaced in the MLC shops and are only a dream in the CUC stores,” reproached a woman.

Others prefer to cast a vote of confidence, but they don’t hide their discouragement. “It’s said there will be different products and that the ones we saw today are the same products that were in the CUC stores three or four months ago. We’re hoping this isn’t a way to make things more difficult for us. I have faith in our Government.”

But already some have determined that the new sales measure will have undesired consequences. “I just saw on [the on-line ad site] Revolico on Facebook that a 5 kg package of detergent that’s worth less than $6 is already being sold at 40 CUC [Roughly $40 US]. This only makes everything worse and encourages the businessmen and coleros (people paid to stand in line for someone),” responded a reader, to someone who asked what people who don’t have hard currency will do.

This question was the one that caused the most anxiety. It’s calculated that in 2019, about $3,716,000 in remittances was received by Cubans, and, although there are many beneficiaries (according to Western Union data some 62% of their offices), a large number of people are at the mercy of their salaries. The pandemic, with the closing of borders and the suspension of tourism, has left many others without hard currency.

“How are those who only have access to CUPs going to manage? What should we do to meet our budgets?” asks another bothered reader. “Why didn’t they do this 30 years ago so we could have avoided the dollar flight? Why are we so late in taking measures to stimulate the economy? They should give us answers to the problems now, because we’re losing capital. This has been the saddest moment to implement these measures. Many people are upset by their lack of access to hard currency and the shortages,” reasons a commentator.

“The Cuban who lives from his salary. How can he go to these shops?” continues another. “The shops in CUCs are mainly not supplied and the lines go on for kilometers. Please, we can’t pretend this isn’t happening. We’re realists. Go ahead and publish this if you want, but many people agree and we have the right to express our displeasure.”

But some readers, a few, have supported the Government’s decision. “The same shops, the same products, but those who have U.S. dollars will be repaid, indirectly incentivized to collect hard currency. Without creating social differences, without handing over monetary sovereignty to our historic enemy, without adding more money to the already complicated monetary unification,” defends a woman. Others try to calm the most annoyed, asking them for patience, because they’re convinced, as the authorities have assured, that the liquidity will permit them to improve the offers in Cuban pesos later.

“If we want to shop in the CUC stores, they have to be supplied. We shouldn’t be afraid or anxious about whether they’re filled with every type of product. And what about the CUP stores?” a reader asks Cuban president Díaz-Canel. “Is our national money still worth anything?” asks another.

Among all the comments, a reflection. “I don’t understand why the euro is elevated above the CUC and now dollars are back, when there’s an official international exchange rate between these two hard currencies. The citizen ends up receiving less than he had before.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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‘We Don’t Accept These Currencies’ : Rubles, Yen and Bolivars Excluded From Hard Currency Accounts

“Rubles, yen and bolivars cannot be deposited in hard currency accounts,” say bank employees. (Collage/14ymedio)

14ymedio, July 24, 2020 – The currency of the Cuban Government’s main political allies are excluded from the hard currency that can be deposited in bank accounts whose debit cards work in the State stores that sell food and cleaning products in freely convertible money (MLC). The State bank branches aren’t accepting deposits of Chinese yen, Russian rubles or Venezuelan bolivars in these accounts, as confirmed by 14ymedio.

“No, we’re not accepting these currencies,” is the categorical response of an employee at the Playa branch of the Banco Metropolitano. This newspaper received identical responses from a bank office in Old Havana, another in Vedado and a fourth in Central Havana. In each case, the workers were clear: “You can’t deposit cash in rubles, yen or bolivars in hard currency accounts.”

The steps to obtain the debit card start with opening a bank account in MLC, but there’s no indispensable requisite for depositing funds. “The client can come, get his card and then after receiving it begin to deposit. Yes, of course, the deposit has to be in currencies authorized by the Central Bank,” clarifies an employee of the branch on the ground floor of the Ministry of Transport. continue reading

On the list appear U.S. dollars, euros, pounds sterling, Canadian dollars, Swiss francs, Mexican pesos, Danish krone, Norwegian krone, Swedish krona and Japanese yen, but notable by their absence are the currencies of the countries with a political rhetoric more sympathetic to Havana: Venezuela, China and Russia.

“In January, I had some Chinese clients stay for three weeks, and before leaving they gave me some yen, so I got my hopes up about depositing them and buying some soap and toothpaste that were missing from the normal stores, but they told me that I needed hard currency,” Rosa María, owner of a rental home in Nuevo Vedado, told 14ymedio.

Something similar happened to a young man from the municipality of Cerro, who still had a few rubles left from his trip to Moscow last year. “I could use them to take a taxi from the airport in case I returned, but since I didn’t go back I now wanted to deposit them to get some things for the baby girl my wife and I just had.

In the bank branch at Línea and M in Vedado, the employee interrupted the young man’s question. “When I told him that rubles were worthless he looked disgusted and told me, ‘nothing of the kind, they were currencies of Canada, the U.S. and Europe, countries with strong money’. The young man left although he could have started the application for a debit card in MLC. ‘It will be empty a long time because I don’t have divisas’.”

In Venezuela, there are thousands of Cubans on official missions, and thousands of Cubans travel to Russia each year because they don’t need a visa to go there. As for China, tourism to Cuba has grown considerably these last years, so the possibility of getting money from these three countries is much easier than getting euros or British pounds.

On July 16, Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed what this newspaper had already said about the opening of shops offering basic products in foreign money, exclusively through debit cards associated with national bank accounts, although the shops in Cuban pesos and convertibles would keep functioning in parallel.

These shops opened last Monday, and a wave of indignation was raised among those who lamented that the products which were scarce in the Cuban peso market now were abundant in these shops with prices in hard currency.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Cuban Artists Are Not Being Paid Because of a ‘Lack of Money’

La Empresa Provincial de la Música y los Espectáculos Ignacio Piñeiro (The Provincial Company for Music and Entertainment “Ignacio Piñeiro”), in barrio El Vedado.

14ymedio, Havana, 23 July 2020 — They were supposed to receive their furlough pay on July 15. Instead, thousands of artists have gone unpaid during the month of June because of a supposed “lack of money”. With their employment tied to a sector of the economy that has been paralyzed by the pandemic, those affected by this situation had been receiving 60% of their previous salary. However, sources from within the industry have told 14ymedio that they will now have to wait until at least August 1.

In April of this year, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, the Employment Minister, reassured workers employed by the state that they would receive 100% of their salary during the first month they were unable to work, a figure which would decrease to 60% in subsequent months. However, singers, comedians, dancers, actors and circus performers have all joined forces to criticise the lack of payment for the month of June.

Artists employed by la Empresa comercializadora de la Música y los Espectáculos Adolfo Guzmán (The Marketing Company for Music and Entertainment “Adolfo Guzmán”), la Agencia de Espectáculos Artísticos TurArte (The Agency for Entertainment Events “TurArte”) and la Empresa Provincial de la Música y los Espectáculos Ignacio Piñeiro are among those worst affected by the delay in payments. Each of the entities has justified the delay in complying with its duties by claiming a lack of resources or issues with bureaucracy. continue reading

The most seriously affected artists work in what is known as the “régimen comercial” (“commercial arrangement”). Generally speaking, these workers negotiate their own contracts, with the company representing them taking a 15% cut on their earnings. Elsewhere, workers receive a fixed salary whether they perform for the public or not. These are known as the “régimen subvencionado” (“subsidized arrangement”). Older artists, troubadours loyal to the government and folk groups are usually employed in this second category.

With events being cancelled and the borders closed to international tourism, artists have found themselves in a precarious position during the last few months. They include Carlos, a musician who no longer receives the extra money he previously earned while giving performances at nightlife venues: “I asked around in my company and they told me that they didn’t know whether any payments would be made this month. How are we supposed to eat if the schedule has been cancelled?”

Normally, artists employed in the “régimen comercial” would not receive a fixed wage. However, on April 6 of this year, the Consejo Nacional de las Artes Escénicas (the National Council of Performing Arts) and the Instituto de la Música (The Institute of Music) jointly announced that they would provide financial assistance to all those working in the entertainment industry regardless of their employment contract. A tax holiday was also announced for those employed in the commercial sector.

Lázaro lives by his guitar. At the weekend, he accompanies a singer to play boleros, guarachas and other traditional music on the terrace of an important hotel in the Playa district of Havana. Until a few months ago, he could be found playing timeless classics like Nosotros, El cuarto de Tula and Dos Gardenias week after week. However, the pandemic has left him without any work.

“There was rarely a night when I didn’t return home with 30 or 40 Cuban pesos in tips from patrons. You might say that I had quite a high standard of living that allowed me to buy and to do pretty much whatever I wanted. The problem is, I wasn’t able to save for the difficult times because I also financially support my mother, my wife and my two kids”, Lázaro explained to this publication. “In the blink of an eye, everything ground to a halt and I now depend on the money I receive from the company. So, this delay has got me treading water”.

Until very recently, Lázaro was able to travel via taxi, afford an annual holiday in a national hotel and even go on a trip to Cancún with his wife. Now, this has all changed: “I simply cannot wait until August 1 because I have debts to pay, and in my household there isn’t even money to buy food”, the guitarist lamented.

The story hasn’t changed much: In recent years, delays or non-payments in the music industry have been frequent, becoming prevalent enough to see the figures included in the official press at the end of 2019. The current situation makes one inclined to think that nothing will be changing anytime in the near future.

Translated by: Andy Barton

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Countries Seeking Cuban Doctors Must Insist the Government Reforms Its ‘Orwellian’ System

A special envoy of Cuban doctors arrives at the Aimé Césaire International Airport, Martinique. (Twitter/@CTM_Martinique)

Europa Press/14ymedio, Madrid, 23 July 2020 — Last Thursday, Human Rights Watch issued a reminder that “countries receiving Cuban doctors have a duty to protect the human rights of all people within their territories, including those of Cuban health workers”. For that reason, they “must ensure that any agreements reached with the Cuban government include effective guarantees for the rights of workers”.

In personal communication, the director of HRW for the Americas, José Miguel Vivanco, stated that “governments interested in receiving the help of Cuban doctors must insist that the Cuban government reforms its Orwellian system, which dictates with whom the doctors are allowed to live, speak with, or even establish an amorous relationship”.

The head of the NGO has warned that should this not occur, “governments that accept Cuban assistance that comes with absusive labor conditions imposed by La Habana, could be considered accomplices to serious human rights violations”. continue reading

“No one is surprised that the Cuban regime is not willing to respect the rights of its health workers, but other governments should refuse to contribute to this exploitation,” Vivanco demanded.

The organization has condemned the “draconian measures” imposed by the Cuban government on its health workers, which includes those health professionals who have travelled to other countries to assist in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

The first special envoy of Cuban doctors was sent to Algeria in 1963; since then, they have spread across the world. At present, there are an estimated 30,000 Cuban doctors stationed abroad, to which a further 1,500 have been added in various countries in Europe, Africa and South America during the fight against COVID-19, according to the figures published by HRW.

“The Cuban doctors sent in response to the pandemic offer vital assistance to numerous communities, but at the cost of their most basic freedoms”, Vivanco went on to criticise.

The NGO insists that “Cuba has designed repressive laws that dictate the lives of those they send abroad”, laws which “severely limit freedom of expression, association and movement, as well as the privacy of health workers”.

Enacted in 2010 by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment, “Resolution 168” would subsequently limit the right of freedom of association by defining as an offence “the establishing of friendships or any other type of relationship” with anyone “whose behaviour does not conform to the values and principles of Cuban society”, and especially those who hold “hostile or inimical views towards the Cuban Revolution”.

Furthermore, the resolution “limits the freedom of circulation”, because it also defines as an offence “the visiting of places which negatively affect the prestige (of the doctor) in the eyes of the public” or “places that, given their nature, pose a threat to public order”. “Health workers must also obtain ’authorization’ to ’take part in public events of a political or social character’”, the NGO explained.

HRW has indicated that “the freedom of expression of Cuban health workers is also severely limited”, since “they need ’direct orders and authorization’ to ’provide commentary’ to the press regarding ’internal matters within the workplace’ or which ’undermine Cuban assistance’ in the country. Likewise, “it is considered an offence to ’disseminate or propagate opinions or rumours which are to the detriment or the collective morale or prestige of any member of the group’”.

Cuban legislation also “significantly limits the right of the doctors and other Cubans to leave the country”. To that end, “health workers that form a part of the special envoys receive so-called ’official passports’ that are only valid for the duration of the mission. Upon their return to Cuba, authorities are able to prevent them from leaving the country for up to 5 years if it deems them to be workers who “provide services that are essential to the economic, social and scientific-technical development of the country”.

“The prospective sanctions for those who commit disciplinary offences range from the withholding of salaries to expulsion from the special envoy itself and a return to Cuba”, the two most commonly employed disciplinary measures, HRW went on to remark.

However, there is also the possibility of criminal proceedings for health workers who “abandon” the envoy, an act punishable by up to 8 years in prison or exile from the island for the same amount of time. Both penalties are established in Cuba’s immigration laws for those who it determines as “undesirable”.

Human Rights Watch issued a reminder that in November of 2019, a group of special rapporteurs from the United Nations investigated the predicament of workers participating in the Cuban medical envoys. Following the “first-hand” data they received regarding working conditions, the group warned that “it could constitute forced labor”.

Translated by: Andy Barton

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So Far This Year, Maduro Has Sent 33 Boats Containing 13 Million Barrels of Oil to Cuba

Carlos Vecchio alleges that Maduro’s regime sent 33 oil tankers to Cuba in the first half of 2020. (AlNavio)

14ymedio, Havana, 23 July 2020 — This Thursday, the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, denounced Nicolás Maduro’s regime for sending oil to Cuba with a value of approximately 348 million US dollars at a time when 9.3 million Venezuelans are estimated to be suffering from either moderate or severe food insecurity.

The diplomat from the Guaidó administration, recognised by Washington as the sole legitimate representative of Venezuela, alleges that the resources “looted by Maduro and Cuba” could be used to provide “immediate solutions” to the devastating crisis faced by Venezuela.

The present regimes of Cuba and Venezuela have maintained close ties ever since Hugo Chávez, the now deceased head of state, first came to power in 1999. The United States accuses La Habana of propping up Maduro’s regime by providing intelligence and military personnel in exchange for oil. Both countries have repeatedly denied these accusations. continue reading

In his report, Vecchio alleges that the Maduro regime sent 33 oil tankers to Cuba in the first half of 2020. The tankers were estimated to contain over 13 million barrels of oil with an approximate market value of 348 million US dollars, based on current prices.

“Venezuelans do not see any of this money, it goes directly to the Cuban regime and Díaz-Canel, Nicolás Maduro and front men like Alex Saab. There is nothing that the Cuban regime could possibly give us that would compensate for the sheer quantity of petrol and other products that we send to them”, the ambassador insisted.

“In exchange, Cuba has offered nothing more than support for the madurista regime via the provision of intelligence and the repression of millions of Venezuelans. This has manifested itself in the torture and violation of human rights of both civilians and military personnel, all of which is confirmed by the most recent report by Michelle Bachelet”, he added.

According to data provided by the ambassador, the shipments to Cuba represent over 12% of Venezuelan crude oil exports. These exports have fallen drastically in recent years as a result of the disastrous effects wrought upon the national economy by chavismo.

The diplomat has stressed that Maduro is sending to Cuba “the highest quality light crude oil; the Merey blend”. He added that shipments to the island increased dramatically between May and June of this year. This period coincides with the deepening of the internal crisis within the Cuban economy, which has been left exposed by mismanagement at the state level in conjunction with US sanctions.

Vecchio continued, “In May, exports to Cuba rose to 27.2%, while in June, Maduro sent more than 43% of our total exports to Cuba. This is the exact period when the Venezuelan people, both those resident in the country as well as migrants, have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The ambassador highlighted that “the resources delivered to Cuba in the first semester of 2020 could have been directed towards helping the 2.3 million Venezuelans who are shamefully kept in a situation of severe food insecurity by the Maduro regime”.

“It is clear that Maduro is not interested in solving this crisis, he has never been interested; on the contrary, his only objective is to profit from the pain, suffering and oppression of the Venezuelans”, condemned Vecchio.

Translated by: Andy Barton

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Woman Dies in Havana After Building Collapse

The victim was trapped when the building, located at 1061 Monte Street, between Fernandina and Romay, in the Havana municipality of Cerro, collapsed. (Granma)

14ymedio, Havana, 24 July 2020 — María Magdalena Olivares Miller, age 68, is the second fatality in less than a week as a result of the collapse of a building in Havana. The victim was trapped when the building, located at 1061 Monte Street, between Fernandina and Romay, in the Havana municipality of Cerro, collapsed.

The events happened this Thursday around 6:30 in the evening, when the roof of her apartment partially collapsed when the roof of the building fell. It took three hours for members of the National Rescue and Salvation Detachment to remove the woman from the rubble, according to the official press. After receiving first aid at the scene, the victim was taken to the Calixto García hospital, where she died.

According to official information, four families resided in the building, in which there are two structurally damaged apartments. continue reading

The area where the collapse occurred is one of the most densely populated areas in Havana’s Cerro municipality and it was also one of the houses with the worst construction status. Old mansions from the early twentieth century that became crowded quarters abound in a neighborhood which is inhabited, mostly, by a population with very low incomes.

The rains of recent days have aggravated the situation in the area, especially in houses already showing major damages such as leaks, cracks in the facade and columns, wooden shoring or with partial collapses.

This is the second death in less than a week after a Community Services worker lost his life on Saturday in the partial collapse of a building in San Miguel and Belascoaín, in Central Havana. On that occasion, the official press did not report the death, but it came to light on Wednesday when the neighbors raised the alarm to this newspaper.

In contrast, this time the state newspaper Granma dedicated several paragraphs to the information, illustrated with images of the rescue work, in which the work of the paramedics, firefighters and even representatives of Cupet (Cuba’s largest oil company) and the Havana Water Company are praised for going to the site.

Deaths as a result of the poor state of housing in Havana are unending, but the residents of the most affected municipalities of the capital have not managed to get a response to demands that date back decades, asking the authorities to take measures to stop a deterioration resulting in a constant public danger to passers-by.

In March 2019, a death occurred in a building collapsed inCerro and in that case the residents had been requesting repairs for 15 years.

At the end of 2019, a mother and her 13-year-old daughter in the municipality of Playa lost their lives in an event that also injured the minor’s grandmother, who managed to get out of the incident alive.

In July of 2015 four people died in Old Havana when a building collapsed while its residents were sleeping.

The most recent known case, until this tragic July, was the death in January of this year of three girls aged 11 and 12, when a balcony collapsed in Old Havana.

Some 1.7 million houses, that is to say 39% of Cubas housing stock, is in a fair or poor state, according to the Housing authorities. The situation is particularly serious in Havana.

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